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Leek Patties

Petite fried fritters, commonly called keftedes, stand as a beloved signature dish in Sephardic Jewish cuisine. These particular leek fritters present a flavorful blend of savory beef with the delicate, mildly sweet essence of leeks, and they are truly crave-worthy.

Yields 12

• 4 large leeks
• 250g minced beef
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp dill, diced
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• Extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
• Fresh lemon wedges, to serve

Thoroughly wash the fresh leeks carefully and cut away the roots and most of the green stalk. Cut into halves lengthways then into 1.5cm rounds. Put in a large skillet and submerge with cold water, then cook over a medium heat for about twenty minutes or until tender.

Remove the water from the leeks and put in a large mixing bowl with the minced beef, eggs, crumbs, dill, chopped parsley and paprika and flavor generously with salt and pepper. Combine well using your fingers then form a few tablespoonfuls into a patty, shaping a little. Set on a platter and continue for the rest of the ingredients.

Preheat oil in a skillet to a amount of about 2cm over a moderate heat. When the olive oil is ready, brown the fritters in small batches until golden on each side. (Avoid overcrowding the frying pan as this lowers the oil temperature of the oil.) Transfer the ready fritters to a dish covered with paper towel and allow to cool.

Present with lemon slices.

Spinach Patties

These amazing spinach with cheese fritters are a real pleasure. The crispy crust reveals a soft filling. The leafy spinach adds a vibrant, moderately natural flavor, while the grated cheese provides a deep, flavorful richness. Feel free to swap the cheese with cooked, pureed spuds if you like.

Produces 16–18

• 1kg spinach leaves (or else about 500g iced spinach, softened for several hours in the cooler)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic pieces, finely chopped
• 100g kefalotyri, shredded
• 80g creamy ricotta
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp mild spice
• 120g dry breadcrumbs (1 and ¼ cups), additional if required
• 3 eggs
• Olive oil for deep-frying (or alternatively vegetable oil)
• Lemon wedges, to accompany

If using raw spinach, rinse it well, removing any stalks, and roughly chop it into sizable portions. Put in a big pot with a bit of water over a medium heat. Once softened, drain in a sieve for about a quarter hour, then squeeze out any extra water and reserve.

If using defrosted spinach, completely remove extra water.

Warm the cooking oil in a pan over a moderate heat and cook the chopped onion and minced garlic until softened, about four minutes. Take off the flame.

Place the prepared spinach, sauteed onion and softened garlic, kefalotyri, soft cheese, nutmeg, sweet paprika, breadcrumbs and beaten eggs in a large bowl and flavor with salt and pepper. Stir well until blended. If the preparation seems too soft, mix in some additional crumbs.

Using your hands, form the dough into oval shapes a bit bigger than a walnut but smaller than an chicken egg, and put them on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Wrap and cool for at least one hour.

In a wide pan over medium heat, preheat oil to a level of about half an inch. Brown the fritters a handful for a couple of minutes each side, rotating so they are crispy all over, then transfer on absorbent paper.

Serve with lemon slices.

Lentil Patties

Featuring a crunchy outside and moist center, these patties are not only delicious but also a extremely wholesome appetizer or meal.

Yields 12

• 45g dried brown lentils (¼ cup)
• 90g burghul (half a cup)
• 125ml oil (half a cup)
• 1 onion, chopped small
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp mint leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp parsley, diced
• 1 fresh egg
• Pepper and salt, to taste
• Greek yoghurt and lemon wedges, to accompany

Add the lentils in a saucepan and submerge with plenty of cold water. Cook over a medium flame for about twenty minutes or until almost cooked, adding additional water to ensure the legumes immersed if necessary.

Stir in the burghul and continue cooking until tender. Drain the ingredients well and put aside in a mixing bowl.

Heat 50% of the